F22 Raptor
The F-22 is one of the most advanced and capable fighter jets ever developed, designed to ensure air dominance for the United States in any contested environment. Created through a partnership between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the program brought together Lockheed’s expertise in stealth airframe design and weapons integration with Boeing’s contributions in major components and avionics support.
Development began in the 1980s under the U.S. Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, launched to find a next-generation replacement for the F-15 Eagle. Lockheed’s YF-22 prototype beat Northrop’s YF-23 in a competitive fly-off in 1991, and the jet entered operational service in December 2005. Though its designation reflects its lineage, its design and capabilities represented a complete shift in aerial warfare.
Primarily an air superiority fighter, the aircraft also performs strike, electronic warfare, and intelligence roles. Its superiority is not simply based on speed or firepower, but on the unique combination of stealth, supercruise, sensor fusion, and extreme agility—allowing it to strike first and disappear before an enemy can respond.
A cornerstone of its dominance is its sophisticated stealth technology, which sets it apart from virtually every other fighter in service. The aircraft was engineered from the ground up to be difficult to detect across radar, infrared, and electronic spectrums. Its airframe is shaped to scatter and absorb radar waves, using smooth, faceted surfaces and aligned edges to reduce radar reflection. Critical components like the engine fans are hidden behind S-shaped inlets, and even the canopy is coated with a thin layer of gold to minimize radar signature from inside the cockpit.
Radar-absorbent materials (RAM) are applied across its skin, helping to soak up radar energy instead of reflecting it. This, combined with its internal weapons bays, eliminates the radar-visible profile of external ordnance. The jet opens its weapons bays only briefly to release missiles or bombs, minimizing radar exposure during engagements. Additionally, flat, shielded engine nozzles reduce its heat signature, making it less visible to infrared sensors and heat-seeking missiles. Its engines also mix hot exhaust with cool outside air to further diminish thermal detection.
Equally important is its low probability of intercept (LPI) radar and communications management. The AN/APG-77 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar offers long-range detection and targeting while emitting signals in such a way that makes them extremely difficult to detect or locate. This gives pilots the ability to monitor and engage enemy aircraft from significant distances without revealing their own presence. The aircraft also uses secure, directional data links and electronic emission control techniques to operate "silently" in hostile environments.
All of these stealth features allow the aircraft to fulfill a unique role in the battlespace. It is often used to penetrate deep into contested airspace at the start of a conflict, disable enemy air defenses or command nodes, and clear the skies of enemy fighters—all while remaining largely undetected. In simulations and exercises, it has consistently achieved overwhelmingly favorable kill ratios, sometimes as high as 30:1 against legacy aircraft. Even when pitted against modern fighters, its stealth characteristics give it a decisive first-look, first-shot advantage.
The aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines equipped with thrust vectoring nozzles, giving it extreme maneuverability. It is capable of flying at supersonic speeds without afterburners—a feature known as supercruise. It reaches speeds above Mach 2.0 and has a combat radius of around 600 miles, or an operational range of approximately 1,850 miles with internal fuel. Combined with its stealth, this speed and agility allow it to operate deep within enemy territory and emerge unchallenged.
For armament, it carries a 20mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon and typically houses six AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles and two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles in its internal bays. It can also carry two 1,000-pound GBU-32 JDAM precision-guided bombs for strike missions. External hardpoints are available but generally avoided during combat due to the impact on stealth.
The cost of developing and producing this aircraft was significant. The total program expense exceeded $67 billion, and each unit cost around $150 million. Due to its high cost and the shifting priorities of U.S. military strategy, production was capped early. Only 195 units were built, including eight prototypes. Around 183 were delivered to the U.S. Air Force, and as of 2025, between 120 and 130 remain fully mission-capable. The others are used for training, in reserve, or retired from service.
The aircraft has never been exported. U.S. federal law prohibits its sale to foreign countries, primarily to protect its sensitive stealth technologies. Nations such as Japan and Australia expressed interest in purchasing the aircraft, but these requests were denied in order to preserve the U.S. technological edge.
Despite the introduction of the F-35 and the development of next-generation fighters, this jet remains irreplaceable for specific high-end missions. Planned upgrades include modernized avionics, improved low-observable coatings, and new weapons integration—all aimed at extending its dominance well into the 2030s. As global threats evolve and peer competitors field more advanced radar and missile systems, stealth will remain critical, and this aircraft’s ability to remain unseen, strike first, and survive will continue to make it a key pillar of U.S. air power.
